Any Reason
by kmaedae
Summary: Updated. I realized I'd cut of a chunk at the end. And also changed the working title . I'll get the hang of updating on this site, I promise. --- Rachel is mixing spells and making dinner. What could possibly happen? Rachel/Al
1. Chapter 1

Title: Any Reason  
Author: k_maedae  
Fandom: The Hollows  
Pairing: Al/Rachel  
Summary: Rachel is mixing spells and making dinner. What could possibly happen?  
Disclaimer: Kim Harrison owns everything, even my soul.

Rating: M for now, but will get to M+. Your welcome. :)

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There was a pot of water boiling on one stove, waiting for pasta to be dumped into it. And another pot of water on the other stove steeping rosemary and mint. Food and spells. Don't mix em. I was prepping for the spell I'd be mixing after dinner, but my stomach came first at the moment. And my stomach wanted pasta. With marinara sauce. Yum. I dropped two handfuls of penne noodles into the boiling water and mixed them around a little with a wooden spoon.

The church was empty. All except for the soft jazz coming from the living room and the bubbling of the water in the pot. Words came to mind like... peaceful, quiet, calm. I'd had the church to myself for most of the evening. Ivy's note was still on the table where I had found it next to her computer. She was out, and hadn't given me details. Which meant I probably didn't want details. I looked over my shoulder and out the window past Mr. Fish in his snifter to the backyard. Still alive after having braved the ever after that first time with me and Al.

There was the occasional tinkle of pixie laughter as Jenks kids played outside. _And not in my kitchen..._The backyard was falling into that soft darkness that dusk brought, sending everything into sharp contrast. The tall trees reaching up like black hands against the darkening sky.

I turned down the heat on the water pot and stirred a few more times. The cd had reached the end and there was that long moment of silence as the changer swiveled to the next cd. I strained the noodles and put the pot back on the stove as the next cd started. More jazz, a bit more soulful this time. My hips swayed to the music as I dumped a good amount of marinara into the pot and stirred it up, heating the sauce. There was really enough for four but oh well. We'd eat leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I was ladling pasta into a bowl when the music stopped again. I stopped dancing and looked towards the hallway. I hadn't heard Ivy come home. The music started again, but it wasn't one of my cds. It was slow, with a deep bass and a heady beat to move your hips to. I didn't know what kind of mood Ivy was in but I really didn't want to be around to watch her come around the corner with music like that playing. I'd learned my lesson one too many times. I turned off the stove top and gathered up my bowl. I'd eat in my room.

"Something in here smells good." I stopped in my tracks. _Shit... _Al came around the corner from the hallway and leaned against the door jamb. He was his usual perfect picture of upper crust Englishman. His accent something out of a Shakespearean play. It'd been a few months since Ceri's baby shower and my first day in the ever after with Al. But it was Tuesday. I'd just come back Sunday morning.

"What do you want Al? Its not Saturday."

"A teacher needs an excuse to see his student?" There was something different to the way he was holding himself. My pulse jumped as I tried to look nonchalant and leaned my butt against the counter.

"Yes, if it's not a school day," I said around a bite of pasta.

He pushed himself away from the wall, one eyebrow crooked as he watched me take another bite. There was something about the smile on his face I didn't like and he took a few slow steps into the kitchen. Suave. That's what it was. He looked suave and sure of himself. "Well, love, what if I said that I'd missed you?"

"I'd say that was the biggest load of fairy crap I've heard all day. You're not supposed to just show up without calling, just like I can't summon you into a circle. Or can I now since you're being a hypocrite. Remember that little talk we------- What the hell are you doing?" Al had walked past Ivy's desk, trailing his fingers across the table top, his hips moving with the beat of the music. He was now making his way around the island, his fingers sliding across the smooth surface of the counter. Making his way towards me. He'd been watching his fingers and now he slowly turned his face up towards me. He wasn't wearing his glasses. His demon-red eyes meeting mine and sending a shiver up my spine. _What the hell was going on? _

"I wasn't lying, Rachel." his voice was deeper and I stifled a shudder. _Damn... _he'd said my name. Just my first name. _Double damn..._ Ok so he looked good with his elegantly chiseled features, his green velvet frock coat and boots that rivaled mine. So what? He was a demon. A demon for crying out loud.

"Neither was I, Al. Now tell me what you're really here for or get the hell out of my--" he took his finger and wiped a bit of sauce off the edge of my bowl and slowly licked it off. His eyes never leaving mine. I tried not to stutter, "--my kitchen." Suddenly worried, I swallowed loudly. So maybe I kind of had an idea of what his reason was. I was starting to rethink if I was in a dangerous situation or not.

He was standing right in front of me, my bowl of pasta keeping the space between us. I took a shaky breath, the smell of burnt amber mingling with the smell of marinara and said more forcefully, "I mean it, Al, shouldn't you be in the ever after somewhere, making up lesson plans?" He tried to take the bowl of out my hands but I held on tighter. We played tug-o-war for a few seconds before he won and put the bowl on the counter behind me, smiling.

He closed the space between us and brought his lips to my ear, one hand finding my shoulder. "Rachel Mariana Morgan," the words came out slow and I suppressed a shiver. His breath was warm against my neck and my eyes fell shut. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "I think taking you on as a student was the stupidest thing I've ever done."

There was a clatter of pixy wings and Al moved away from me quicker than my eyes could follow. Jenks came flying through the kitchen window, "Rache! Somethings come through the---" he saw Al and his wings slowed, turning red, "Oh, its you." He turned towards me with his hands on his hips, "You ok Rache?"

I tried to smile, "Yeah everything's fine Jenks," I moved further away from Al. _See, there's nothing going on, nothing at all... _

Al's eyes met mine with a dark look on his face that was made to be seen in dark rooms behind closed doors. He quickly masked it with an unpleasant smile before Jenks could notice and turned towards the pixy. "You're not much of a guard dog, little man. In the last five minutes I could have killed the itchy-witch three times over. Getting slow in our old age are we?" His accent somehow made it sound more insulting than it already was.

Jenks wings turned a darker red, almost black and they fluttered once sifting black dust into the sink. He was glaring at Al but he spoke to me, "If this fairy's ass wipe of a demon starts becoming any trouble just give a yell." He took off from the window and hovered in Al's face, jabbing him in the nose with his finger, "I don't like or trust you, demon. I'll pix you back to the Turn if you so much as think about hurting Rachel. Got it?"

Al blew at Jenks, disrupting his flight pattern and he had to fly back two feet to regain his stability in the air. "Listen to me Bug, I tolerate your tiny existence for one reason, if I didn't, I'd have to drag Rachel Mariana Morgan's ass to the ever-after by her hair. And as fun as that was the last time, I have no energy for it. But if you touch me again I will rethink my decision." Both demon and pixy stared at each other; Jenks glaring in his best Peter Pan pose, Al's face devoid of emotion except for in his goat-slit eyes. There was danger in those red eyes and Jenks saw it, although he'd never admit it. Coming to an understanding, Jenks nodded once and Al mirrored him.

"You need anything, Rache… let me know."

I nodded and watched Jenks fly out the window back to his garden. The music was still drifting in from the living room. I took a shallow breath, bring my attention back to Al, my mind reeling. I had no idea what to think about the last few minutes and my body was still tingling in places it shouldn't. Any clever comment I had was lost in the confusion my body was going through at the moment. I could still feel his breath on my neck and it pissed me off and excited me all at the same time.

"Uh, would you mind explaining what in the fucking Turn that was all about?" I crossed my arms and leaned against the counter trying to look comfortable in my own kitchen. Damnit.

Al said nothing. His red eyes quickly scanning me down to my feet then back to my eyes again. "Nothing to worry your lovely little head about," he closed the gap between us once more, making my breath stop in my throat. He reached behind me and grabbed my bowl of pasta, taking a bite from it. "See you Saturday. Don't be late Rachel." He winked as I felt a tug from the line and he, his coat from the kitchen table, and my pasta were gone.

….. I stared for a few long moments at the place he had been standing. Fuck.

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Note:

And for those of you wonderful people that reviewed this the first time I posted, thank you so much! All of them were wonderful and greatly appreciated. I will be continuing on with this, next chapter to be posted soon!


	2. Chapter 2 Uw That Smell

Title: Any Reason

Chapter 2: Uw That Smell  
Author: k_maedae  
Fandom: The Hollows  
Pairing: Al/Rachel

Rating: M+ for very naughty things.  
Summary: Rachel is mixing spells and making dinner. What could possibly happen?  
Disclaimer: Kim Harrison owns everything, even my soul.

Note: Sorry for the wait everyone! And to speed up to posting, I'm sorry my two betas, I went strait to publishing it. Will NOT be doing that with the next chapters. Again, so sorry :(

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Chapter 2

My body went airborne and my back hit the wall of the sanctuary. I slid down to the floor in a messy heap. Well that was fun_. _Getting my feet under me in a crouch I flipped my hair back out of my face. It was a damp, stringy red mess and I really wished I'd put it back beforehand. I took a deep cleansing breath. Yes, this was the perfect distraction from last nights events. I could still feel Al's breath on my skin, remember how my body reacted. I was not okay with it.

Ivy stood in a defensive posture eight feet away across the mat we'd set out. She had tried to be quiet while I told her about Al's unannounced visit, more like there had been bouts of yelling intermingled with tense silences with her arms crossed and her eyes dilating. Now that I was getting my ass thoroughly kicked I knew she was getting me back for not taking her advice and stopping the lessons with Al altogether.

She had a hairband around one wrist, her own straight black hair already pulled back in a short ponytail. She'd knew I'd want one. There was still some brown to her eyes around her ever-widening pupils. Good sign. That meant we could still go for at least another ten maybe fifteen minutes before we'd have to hit the showers and I'd have to practically bathe myself in citrusy smelling perfume.

I stood up, making a "T" with my hands, "Time out. Toss my your other hair tie." I sounded a little breathless, even to me. Damn, we really needed to do this more, or run or something. Being in shape was always nice, but being able to run like hell if I needed to was even nicer. The memory of Trent's hounds flashed through my mind and I quickly thought about something else. The quick fear that would have spread through my body would have cut our session short if Ivy picked up on it.

Ivy smirked and took the tie from around her wrist and she walked towards me with her hand out, offering it, "You know, you always do that. What would you do if I didn't think ahead?"

I took the tie from her and shrugged at her question, my hands at the back of my head wrapping the elastic around my hair until it was in a loose knot, "What I always do, Plan B." At the moment I had no idea what witty thing I would have come up with for a Plan B and I didn't have time to think of it either. Ivy saw that I was done with my hair and went for the attack.

Block. Block. Dodge. Circle parry. She was coming at me faster this time, both of us having had time to recoup a bit. Alright then, two could play at that game. I dropped, dodging her fist meeting my face and swept my leg around under her legs. She saw it coming and threw her body back in a back hand spring, one foot kicking out, aimed at my face. What was it with my face today? Seriously. I rocked back onto my butt, immediately putting my feet under me as she landed on her feet. I wasn't going to win today. I knew that. But the adrenaline coursing through my body felt good. I ran at her. Right cross. Jab. Left Hook. I was backing her up and she didn't even look like I was giving her trouble. Damnit. Left Uppercut. Block. Block. I dodged one of her fists and landed one right under her ribs. I could hear all the air whoosh out of her lungs as she doubled over. I paused for a second, my hands falling to my sides, "Shit, Ivy I'm---" I didn't even have time to think before she'd grabbed on of my arms, positioned it over her shoulder and flipped me over onto my back with a loud thud as I hit the mat.

I kept my eyes closed for a minute feeling my body hate me. "Low," I opened my eyes and looked up at my living vampire roommate from where I lay on the floor, "that... was low."

She was smiling, the blackness from her eyes slowly receding, "Sorry." She offered her hand to me and I took it, pulling myself up off the mat. I cracked my neck in booth directions , "I'll get you next time, Tamwood." and headed for my bathroom.

I heard her laugh as I walked down the hall, "Yeah ok, Morgan."

There was a cluster of pixie girls in my bathroom when I got there. They were peering over the edge of the shelf over the washer and dryer, giggling as Rex stood on top of the dryer pawing the air under the shelf as they sifted pink and gold dust down on her. "Ok guys, come on, stop torturing the cat." I gestured towards the open door and they all flew from the shelf and out the door. Rex watched them go and jumped to the floor following them out. Her yellow kitty-cat eyes never leaving their dragonfly wings as she padded across the hardwood floor. I sighed and closed the door. I turned on the shower and took a moment to look at myself in the mirror above the sink as I waited for the water to get hot. My hair frizzed out in a red mess around my head, the little whispy hairs at my forehead that refused to grow out longer sticking to my skin with sweat. Attractive Rachel... Steam began to build in the bathroom and fog spread across the mirror taking my reflection with it and I took a deep breath feeling my body start to stiffen from the workout. My sweaty workout clothes went on top of the washing machine and got in the shower. The water was a godsend on my aching muscles. I let my head fall forward into the stream of water and wet my hair. The water made it fall in a thick orangey curtain around my face. A smell stung my nose and I brought my head back up, pulling my hair out of my face, looking around. Burnt amber. I brought a grip of my hair to my nose. "Goddamnit..." I was never going to get the fucking smell out of my hair. I washed it three times after I got home every weekend from my lessons with Al and it still smelled like it. I sighed and leaned back into the corner of the shower. I'd never get the smell off me.

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I would never get the smell off me. Try as I might. Curses, soap, cursed soap. All of it. None of it worked. Every time she went back home to reality the stink of redwood hung around my kitchen, seeped into the marble floor and wooden cabinets, seeped into my skin. I'd made Pierce scrub the floors thrice this last time. Still to no avail. Although it did offer entertainment at the cost of a black eye and growing lump on the side of the runt's head. Still, I hadn't expected this to be a problem when I took her on as my student. My neck and my investment were the key factors in that decision.

The water falling from the shower had gone cold as I stood brooding about the empty bowl, that didn't belong to my kitchen, sat in my sink waiting for Pierce to clean it. I shook my head and cursed, tapping a line, I used the water as it hit my skin as a focus, "_Celero Inanio." _The water burned like liquid fire as it fell on me and steam started to rise and spill over the shower curtain into the rest of the bathroom. I held out my hand, palm up and a new bar of soap appeared in it. It was a dark waxy green, and smelled like wood polish and sage as the water hit it. The newest odor fighting soap to add to my collection of non-successes. The damned witch. Did she know how much she was coasting me to buy all these damned soaps? Of course not. She never thought about how much I had spent to make this place suitable to teach in. Nor how much I had to barter and how often I'd had to go to Newt for an ingredient or two. Embarrassing is what it was.

I lathered the soap between my hands and began to clean my body for the third time. I shook my head, working the soap against my chest and arms. Stupid witch.... I should have killed her when I had had the chance. Hell, I had tried to. The damned itchy witch always seemed to have luck swing her way. Her little friends hadn't helped things either. Resilient, my little witch. And stubborn. Also infuriating..... and intoxicating.

I closed my eyes against the hot steam of the water and lifted my face to it. I could still see the disdain in her eyes as she watched me walk into her kitchen. The way she flippantly talked to me with no doubt in her mind that I wouldn't hurt her. The way her body moved as she backed away from me. I could almost feel her skin under my fingers. Feel the heat coming from her body as I brushed against it. Feel her aura hold fast against mine, keeping mine out. I wanted in. I could almost feel her soapy hands under mine, the water falling on us as she slid them across my chest. I could feel the way the water pearled along her skin and ran down her arms. My body tensed as I felt my hand, her hand sliding down my stomach and wrapped my fingers, her fingers around me and began to move in long smooth strokes and my breath caught in my throat.

She stood in the corner, just under the shower head but out of the line of the water. My hands were on the wall on either side of her head, giving the illusion that she was pinned in the corner, trapped. I could feel the cool tile against my palms, felt the water against my skin. There was uncertainty in her eyes and she started to move her hand away from me. I raised a brow and brought one hand down, tightening around hers and forcing her to keep the speed. Forcing her to touch me. Her eyes widened, eyes like emerald caught in fire, and I saw her swallow past her fear almost as if it fueled the fire in her eyes..

My hand around hers, continuing her stroke. Her hands were like tight velvet on me, around me. I watched as she tilted her head back, enjoying the feeling of me in her hand. A soft moan escaped her and she stepped up the pace. My hands on the wall served more than one purpose as I tried to keep my knees from buckling. I felt a tug on the nearest line. She'd tapped one and now with every fluid movement on her hand on me it felt as if she were pushing and pulling the line through me, caressing my insides with a burning energy that tasted like her. Liquid, molten, like the gold her aura would be without all the smut on it. Or like the gold of my aura would be. I felt her grow more certain, feel the control on her grip. I wanted to shatter that control. Watch the fire burn in her as she lost it.

I growled and grabbed both of her hands and immediately the line she was pulling through me spilled back into her. I held them in one of my own hands against the wall over her head. I kissed her. I kissed her like she was air and I was drowning. She struggled against my grip, small sounds coming from her as she fought against me. My empty hand kneaded at her breast, rubbing and pinching her nipple between my fingers as it pearled between them. She bit down on my bottom lip and I tasted blood, sweet and metallic in my mouth. Another growl rumbled through my chest and I slid my hand from her breast and between her legs, inserting one... two fingers inside her and curling them towards me. She started to struggle in earnest against my grip and I held her hands tighter, pinning her with my body against the wall. I moved my fingers deeper inside her forcing strangled moans coming from deep in her, her body writhing against me. I slid my lips across her collar bone and the vampire scar I'd left just under the skin. She gasped, her body going still and I played and nibbled with the skin over it. A shiver started through her and I moved my lips along her jaw bone to her ear, "Are we done fighting, Rachel..." I licked a long line along the shell of her ear, "Mariana..." I let me breath out slowly against her skin, "Morgan?"

Another shiver ran through her body and my fingers slowed down into long, torturous strokes. She moaned, almost whined, trying to move against my fingers to make movement faster. I smiled, biting her earlobe softly to make her shiver again, "Tell me Rachel."

"Yes," she breathed.

"Yes what?" She was so wet around my fingers, it took all my self control to hold on and make my fingers stop just outside of her.

She swallowed, her eyes closed in what looked like concentration, "Yes, I-- I'm done."

I slid my fingers along the lips of her opening, circling that little nub of nerves, "Good" I grabbed the back of her thighs and lifted her up, pinning her against the wall as I drove myself into her. Her moans echoed off the tile and her hands gripped my shoulders, her fingernails digging into my skin. Good god the sounds she was making. I slowed down, teasing her, punishing her. Her legs had wrapped around my waist, pulling me in deeper. She felt so tight around me, closing around me like a velvet fist. I had to work at pulling out of her and had to push my way back in. With each stroke she stretched around me, her head thrown back, luxuriating in the feel of me working against that tightness.

I tapped a line and spindled as much energy as I could in my chi. I tightened my grip on her thighs and began to move faster, making each thrust deeper, almost violent and drew the line through her with each thrust. Rachel's voice grew louder with each movement of my hips and bringing up my second sight I watched as her aura pulsed and moved with our bodies, trying to slide of hers and into mine. I pushed more line energy into her using the places where our bodies touched and her aura drew back around her. She whimpered, her eyes opening and meeting mine for the first time in minutes. The look in her eyes said she didn't agree with what I'd done. One of her hands left my shoulder and grabbed onto the pipe connecting the shower head to the wall. Using that as leverage she rose and fell above me, forcing me deeper into her, slamming her hips down against me. Balance was becoming a quick problem, my control slipping with it. I planted my feet and grabbed the top of the shower door with one hand, holding onto her thigh with the other. We were moving at a frenzied pace now.

That familiar pressure low in my groin and building in my cock was almost unbearable. She was so fucking loud. Moaning, groaning and mumbling obscenities under her breath. I felt as if my head were going to explode. I gasped as I lost control on the line energy spindled in my chi and met her eyes. She'd felt it too and let go of hers. The energy spilled from our bodies in a quick blinding flash of heat and fury as our bodies thrust against each other. Our auras rose up and blended together, mine swirling in hers and leaving streaks of black and a deeper saturated gold. The pressure in my body was trying to find a way out. I gave one hard thrust, another one, and another hard enough to make her scream as she came. She tightened around me, forcing herself down faster and harder on me. I moaned, almost screaming as I moved to catch up with her. She threw her head back, almost hitting the shower wall as came hard and fast around me and the pressure found its way out of me.

We shared one blissful moment where everything was a hazed, silver misted world. Lethargic and light as a feather.

I looked down at her hand, my hand, wrapped around me and sticky. I watched as the water fell over my hand and washed away the evidence of what I'd done. The water felt cold on my skin again. For fuck's sake..... I tried to catch my breath and leaned against the shower wall. I really needed to stop doing this. The was a very formal knock at the bathroom door, Pierce no doubt, and I looked up.

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I looked up and gasped, the hairs on my arms were standing on end and my skin, covered in suds from my loofah, was tingly. What the hell? There was a small pounding on the door and I looked up from the spray of the shower, "Yeah?"

There was a thud as I heard something hit the floor outside the door, and a clatter of wings accompanied Jenks as he flew under the door and into the bathroom, "Just makin' sure you're not dead. You've been in here for a while."

That thud was probably a shoe of mine. I sighed and peaked around the shower curtain. Jenks had landed on the edge of the sink with his hands on his hips and spoke before I could, "What, are you mast---"

"NO, JENKS!!" My cheeks burning red, I threw my loofah at him from around the shower curtain, "Get the hell out of here! Go bug Ivy or something."

He dodged it easily and flew back under the door and out of the line of fire. I could hear Jenk's laughter and Ivy's voice distantly from in the kitchen. "Damnit."

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Authors Note: The chapters will probably be getting longer from here on out. Seeing as how I need to start fitting some kind of plot in here somewhere. Hope it wasn't too long of a wait for this and hopefully not too long for the next one.


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